Houston Dynamo sign Homegrown center back Erik McCue for 2019

The 2018 season did not go exactly to plan for the Houston Dynamo but with they have started their offseason with a promising signing.

The Dynamo added Homegrown center back Erik McCue for the 2019 season on Tuesday. McCue, 17, is the tenth Dynamo Academy alumnus to sign a first-team contract with the club. He joins goalkeeper Tyler Deric and midfielder Memo Rodriguez as the third Dynamo Academy alumnus on the current roster. He will continue to play with the Academy’s Under-19 team during the upcoming offseason.

“We are pleased to announce Erik McCue as a Homegrown signing for the Houston Dynamo First Team. He has demonstrated a strong mentality, work ethic and willingness to learn that is necessary to take this next step in his career,” said Dynamo SVP and general manger Matt Jordan. “Erik has been a standout performer with both the U-17 and U-19 teams in our Academy and has benefited greatly from his time with our USL team and training with the First Team. I’d also like to acknowledge the hard work of our Academy and First Team staffs in helping Erik’s growth as a player. As a club, we understand that becoming a professional is a process and we look forward to helping Erik continue to grow and develop.”

Since joining the Dynamo Academy, McCue established himself as an integral member of the Academy Under-17 and Under-19 teams, earning the right to wear the captain’s armband. He helped lead the U-17 team to the US Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) playoffs at the end of the season, earning U-17 MVP accolades from the Academy coaching staff at the annual Dynamo Academy Awards banquet in June.

“Erik is a very talented young player who already has all the tools and qualities to be a successful soccer player and to play in MLS. To find a player with his size, technique, and fire to play the position is good for us,” said Dynamo head coach Wilmer Cabrera. “This will be a big step for him, but we believe that he is ready to play at the professional level and we are excited for him. We are thankful with our Academy for the job they have done finding and developing players, especially with such strong quality and mentality.”

McCue was born in Onsala, Sweden and has lived in Europe, Asia and Washington D.C. prior to moving to Houston in 2017. He is a dual citizen of both the United States and Sweden and is eligible to represent the United States or Sweden at the international level one day.